Cold Hands, Warm Hearts
by RedMonocle
Summary: Kaede's dream of becoming a Hero was nothing new, but a change in feelings had brought new inspiration into her motives. So when she and Karina become partners on the show, Kaede's preexisting affections intensify. And Karina, who had long since let go of her love for Kotetsu, finds herself increasingly drawn to her new partner. Older!KaeRina. One-shot. COMPLETE.


**A/N:**

 **[All characters in this story belong to Sunrise/Bandai Namco Pictures, the creators/owners of Tiger and Bunny. Brand names referenced also do not belong to me, nor am I associated with them in any way. Any portrayals of company actions or views are not meant to be taken seriously, as this is entirely a work of fiction not meant to defame in any manner.]  
**

 **This might seem like a crack ship at first glance, but I can honestly see it working out so well. Seriously though, I liked writing the chemistry for this fic a whole lot~**

 **And I would say the fandom needs more good yuri (then again I'd probably say that about nearly _any_ fandom I'm in), but as it stands, there was a limited number of girls on the cast in the first place, so wouldn't that be barking up the wrong tree :P Anyhow, chapter warning for high levels of suggestivity (even though this is overwhelmingly heaped with fluff, so most of that is probably what they call UST). Hope y'all enjoy!  
**

 **-Reddie**

* * *

It honestly puzzled Kaede as to why Karina had even bothered anymore.

Kaede had figured the extent of their friendship was only a stepping stone on the way to helping Karina pursue her oh so obvious crush. But as time wore on, she knew that definitely couldn't be the case anymore, not when everyone from Hero TV had been invited to Kotetsu and Barnaby's wedding last year. Hell, she even complained and commiserated with Kaede, seeing that both their crushes had been utterly claimed with that. But there was no sense of any bitterness to the conversation… just a tinge of wistfulness that caused Kaede to wonder if Karina was still holding any remnant feelings. She understood that people could have feelings without expecting them to go anywhere.

Because now, Kaede was starting to develop feelings of her own for Karina.

* * *

As a Blue Rose song played from a music video on TV, Kaede found herself muttering, "Dad?"

"Yeah, sweetie?" He looked over to her from his seat on the couch, turning the volume down so he could hear his daughter.

"How did you know Barnaby liked guys?" She blurted, "I mean, w-was there a way to tell… or…?"

"Er…" He seized up, the question taking him by surprise. Instantly, Kaede's face went red with embarrassment. Agh, what was she thinking? Nevermind, this was a stupid question, and she should just forget about it! But before she could give up, he finally sighed, "That's just it, Kaede. I _didn't_ know. And I couldn't tell either. I just… sort of found out."

Kaede blinked, "How?"

"Well," he fiddled with his thumbs, "when you're working with someone for hours on end each day, and your desks are right next to each other, you start talking about a lot of things. And you slowly learn when exactly they're lying through their teeth during an interview because of the inconsistency with other past conversations. And eventually, they end up coming clean that they've apparently liked you for quite some time. So that's how I figured."

"Also, it wasn't that I liked men in particular either," Barnaby chimed in, smirking from the front door. "It was just that I couldn't see myself with anyone else." Father and daughter alike jolted in surprise at the sight of him.

"Ah, Bunny!" Kotetsu laughed, "How long have you been standing there?"

"I came in right as Kaede was asking," He stated bluntly, walking up to his stepdaughter with curiosity in his eyes. She covered up her burning face with her hands, utterly abashed. He soothed, "Don't be embarrassed, Kaede. There was nothing wrong with your question. But now I'm curious as to why you were asking. Was something concerning you?"

She opened her mouth, and then closed it, and then opened it again, eyes flitting between Barnaby and the TV in a desperate attempt to explain to him without saying anything. Because, oh boy, the thought of having to say she liked Karina out loud made her want to hit herself over the head. She didn't want Barnaby or her dad to laugh, because even in her thoughts, it sounded childish. She graduated only last month from the Hero Academy, and her dad was finally starting to treat her more like her age. What if confessing a silly crush like this would ruin that?

"It was nothing, Barnaby. Plain curiosity. That was all."

He saw right through her lie, but understood well enough based on where her eyes had been. And so he didn't press any further. She was eighteen at this point, already a young woman. If she wanted to, she could make things happen as she pleased.

* * *

So, taking a chance, she did make things happen.

She'd already wanted to be a Hero long before she even started attending the academy, so of course she was going to jump on the chance to apply for the show. And now, with her feelings for Karina, that was all the more reason to give it all she had to aim for a spot in the cast.

And she was willing to do almost anything to fill the spot next to Blue Rose.

She did her research, and her first bet was going under Titan Industries as her sponsor company, but they currently weren't looking for other Heroes, since Blue Rose had already been doing so well under them for years now. That discovery left her crestfallen, but Kaede persisted, knowing there were other companies who would pay good money to have her catch criminals on the show. She tried utilizing her links to Apollon Media, but they were too nervous to hire her on the grounds of possibly being accused for some kind of nepotism. Her last chance stood then with Kronos Foods, Rock Bison's sponsor company. Because his ratings had plateaued, they were indeed searching for additional Heroes to boost profits. She sent in her application, but now she just _had_ to be sure. So after some wheedling on the phone, Antonio wrote up a letter of recommendation to the department responsible for newcomers, and in no time, someone called her in to talk.

"Ooh, and you made nationals in an ice skating competition, very nice…" the agent smirked, his eyes jumping between Kaede and the resume, "Yes, I could _definitely_ see this playing out well…"

"So you'll sign me on?" Kaede perked up, eyes sparkling.

"Ha! You were a shoo-in from the start, sweetie! Not every day we get a mimic-type NEXT with your set of skills. We'll have to pull a few strings though, and come to a compromise with Titan Industries if that's what you're gunning for. But I have a feeling they'll like this set-up too. It's too hard to resist." The agent rose from his desk and held out a hand to shake, "Just a question though. Would you mind working in somewhat… chilly conditions?"

Kaede grinned, firmly gripping the hand in front of her, "I love the cold."

* * *

" _Starting tomorrow, you'll be part of the world's first female Hero tag team!"_

Karina leapt to the top of a van, icing over the ground below with an impatient growl, wondering as she landed where the hell her partner was. She already knew it couldn't be Pao-Lin, because her sponsors said this set-up was in conjunction with Kronos Foods, not Odysseus Communications. The robbers skittered over the ice, falling and tripping over each other. Karina looked down with a haughty laugh and took aim. If her partner was feeling a little camera shy, that was fine by her. She could still take these guys down with or without that extra help.

"Give it up, boys! There's nowhere left to run!" She called out, striking a pose, "My ice may be a little cold—"

Before she could finish, two hands on her shoulders startled her stiff, and in a flash of lavender and black, she got a fleeting face full of hard silver tail alongside the end of her catchphrase.

"But your crime has been completely put on _hold!_ "

On the last word, it took Karina less than half a second to process that the woman in front of her had just jumped _right over her head_ to land swiftly on the icy ground below. The woman moved just as quickly as she landed, the blades of her skates scraping loudly over the ice. She circled the robbers, and Karina couldn't tear her eyes away from the movement, the sharp shine of tightly-tied violet hair under the copter lights.

And Karina felt her breath hitch on a gasp when the other woman locked the criminals in a spray of ice.

"No way…" Karina whispered, awestruck even with the arrest stolen from right under her nose. The moment didn't last long however, and she jolted with a squeak at the feeling of a cold hand on her back. She whirled around once again, now getting a good look at her partner.

"Sorry for stealing your thunder back there, Blue Rose," she murmured shyly, scratching the back of her neck. Karina's eyes widened, recognizing the voice but not exactly sure who it belonged to, given all of the makeup on her face. This woman was just _so fast_ , and everything was happening at such a rapid pace that she didn't exactly have time to think.

At this point, speech was just slipping out past blue lips, "I… well—um—y-your name?"

"Ka—um, Kitty Kaleidoscope." She replied, eyes timid behind lilac contacts, "Are… you mad at me?"

It hit her then who exactly this newbie was, and Karina laughed, "Oh, no! Don't sweat it, Kaede!" And gently, she placed a hand on her partner's shoulder, "We're partners now. I've got your back, alright?"

"A…Alright…"

Karina didn't quite understand why Kaede was acting so shy, but it was definitely cute.

* * *

" _And look at that, folks! Our new Hero, Kitty Kaleidoscope, has made the arrest!"_

Kaede watched her debut episode air with a swell of pride, her father clapping loudly from his seat on the couch.

"Great work, sweetie! I wish I'd been there in person to see ya!" He looked back at the screen, trying not to cringe at the camera close-up on his daughter's chest. It was just part of the business, he understood, and it would be hypocritical of him to react negatively to her Hero suit being a bit revealing, considering that Karina was in the exact same position. He glanced over at Barnaby, whose green eyes were locked in observation on the screen.

"No big deal, Dad." She brushed it off with a giggle, "Interviews are a part of the job too. Anyway, you'll have tons of other chances to see me fight in person."

Barnaby frowned mildly, seeing that the suit was made of more soft material than anything else, "Who designed your suit?"

"Sponsors came up with it." Kaede said excitedly, "Don't you just love the Chesire cat face on the chest? I think it's pretty clever!" Hearing that, Kotetsu squinted at the TV, noticing just now that the patterns across the bra-part _did_ make the top of her suit look a bit like a cat's face… yeah, that was clever: not garishly obvious, but not exactly obscure either.

"It looks nice, but… it seems a little ineffective for defense purposes." Barnaby crossed his arms.

Kaede gave a bit of a weak laugh, dismissing, "Why do you think I was moving so fast then? I didn't want to get shot, but I sure didn't want to chicken out either! If I ran away, I couldn't get on camera, and I'd be leaving Karina out in the open alone! Not a good way to make a debut, don't you think?"

"But that's counter-intuitive, having to move faster to make up for the lack of protection. I mean… you went so fast you could barely even see the Magnum Ice Cream logo on that… that piddling excuse of a chest plate!" Barnaby blurted, frustrated and deeply concerned about Kaede's safety, "Goodness, _three businesses_ funding your suit, and they can't even spring for better protective material?"

Kotetsu looked back at him, tone warning, "Hey, come on, Bunny—"

"No, Dad, he has a point. But still," She admitted, avoiding Barnaby's eyes, "I honestly don't think I need the armor. And I'm not saying that out of any cockiness, just… all the other cool things they gave me." Barnaby quirked up an eyebrow, a skeptic look on his features. She elaborated, "I have a utility belt filled with smoke bombs, a Hundred Power-proof folding staff that extends to be about four feet long, skates with blades that fold up flat, a _headset-controlled robotic tail_ , I mean, how cool is that? And they even gave me a wire gun just like Dad's! I haven't gotten the chance to use it in action yet!"

Barnaby blinked, before giving a small smile, "Alright. I suppose I spoke too soon."

"And yeah, I could probably spare to move just a little slower." Kaede pointed up an index finger, "So the cameras can keep up."

"And so your partner can too." Barnaby gave a bit of a knowing smile when Kaede blushed a bit at the mention of Karina. He added, "Remember, you're not fighting alone. The two of you may be able to handle things on your own separately, but that's not what being a team is about. You have to look out for her from now on."

To that, Kaede gave a firm nod, head whirling now that he'd brought Karina up. Embarrassment was now flooding in after the fact. She'd been so fixated on trying to impress Karina with a grand entry that she lost track of the important thing: protecting her partner, and the citizens of Sternbild. She'd make sure to keep her head in the right place. Karina wasn't her sole motivation for becoming a Hero, after all.

But Karina most certainly meant a lot in terms of inspiration. The feeling of Karina's hand on her back lingered into the evening. And as Kaede drifted off to sleep, it left her thinking of all the ways she could become a better Hero, a Hero worthy of fighting by Blue Rose's side.

* * *

Most of the time, however, Karina was trailing behind Kaede with a rainbow of mixed feelings over Kitty Kaleidoscope's outfit.

There was a small, guilty bit of relief over having someone show off more skin than her, but simultaneously, concern about her safety and the kind of harassment it was capable of attracting. In her past eight years of work, she'd received hundreds of lewd and unwarranted comments from so-called "fans" in regards to her own costume, so it made her shudder a bit to think of how many more scumbags would be on Kaede's tail, no pun intended.

Well, actually… that tail, it also brought about some fascination. Karina thought at first that it was just a pliant prop, like her thorns. But after a few more episodes of working with Kaede, she found that every movement was intentional thanks to Kaede's brainwaves on the headset. Karina noticed how it went stiff when Kaede was scared, slacked up when she was at ease, and twitched when she was nervous. It was weird how captivating it was to watch that thing move, and more intriguing to just watch Kaede move in general. When she skated, the sway of her slender hips was nearly intoxicating, and the fluid shift of those long legs mesmerizing alongside that swishing tail.

But when Nathan teased in the training room about Karina staring a little _too_ long at her partner's derriere, she made a point to mind where her eyes wandered. Just now, however, Kaede had chimed in with a rather suggestive question, so that didn't help Karina's case very much.

"Hey." Kaede ran up to her partner's side, offering a towel to wipe away the sweat from the recent workout. "Abs are sexy on a girl, right?" Karina only gave a bit of a low chuckle, and Kaede hoped to the high heavens that she wasn't flushing too obviously at the sound.

"Well, sure. A little muscle means power, and power is a turn-on. I mean, I _am_ marketed as a dominatrix of sorts. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering—since my costume shows off my stomach—if working on my core muscles would ruin my sex appeal."

"I wouldn't bother worrying about that. In fact, if your sponsors aren't going to give you better armor, I'd encourage you to build your strength. I wouldn't want you getting hurt."

"Can you help me with sit-ups then?" Kaede looked up at her, practically radiating innocence with those precious, beaming eyes. Just goodness, was it adorable. How could she possibly turn Kaede down?

Karina giggled a bit, ruffling her partner's hair, "Sure thing!"

And when they were both settled on the floor, Karina watched her partner's movements intently, finding herself drawn in all the same. There was something rhythmic to the way Kaede moved, the rise and fall of her chest paced like a metronome, the upward curl and descent of her torso like a press against a piano pedal.

Kaede didn't falter at all, even as she was starting to tire. But with that intense gaze fixed upon her, and those beautiful honey-brown eyes shimmering with enchantment, she was quickly losing focus.

"Is… is something wrong?" Kaede exhaled, sitting up.

Snapping out of her reverie, Karina blushed, "No, everything's fine. Keep going."

Kaede resumed, movement determined, unwaveringly steady, and Karina fell hypnotized again. She wanted to just look at Kaede for hours, admiring.

* * *

And Kaede gave her that opportunity with an informal lesson.

"Steady, Karina, steady," Kaede encouraged, holding her wobbly partner's hand as they slide across the rink together. The ground was a little too roughed up for Kaede's liking, but she remembered clearly enough when she was a beginning skater how scary it was to slide out onto freshly-smoothed ice. The friction would help Karina out quite a bit.

Karina squeaked, nearly collapsing out of Kaede's grasp had the wall not been there. The younger woman gripped her partner's hand tighter, regretting not teaching her how to fall properly.

Abashed, Karina placed her head in her palm, "I'm sorry, I-I don't know what I was thinking when I asked if you could teach me how to skate. Maybe we should just—"

"Don't give up just yet." Kaede reassured, "It's not like your first rehearsal went flawlessly right off the bat, right? Practice makes perfect. This isn't so different…"

"I think…" Karina began, pausing briefly, "it'd do me some good to just watch you for a moment. So I can get an idea of how you balance." With that, Kaede gave a slow nod, releasing her partner's hand as she wandered away from the edge of the rink, Karina now safely gripping to it for support instead.

She spared a small smile and moved in circles, doing her best to mind her speed so that Karina's eyes could keep up. And just for show, she tossed in a few dazzling spins. Kaede didn't understand why she wanted to impress the older woman so badly. It wasn't like she was expecting her crush to go anywhere. But she liked having Karina's eyes on her. It made her feel like at least she wasn't the only one falling under someone else's spell.

"How was that?" Kaede glided back to her partner's side, her heart jumping when Karina reached out first to take her hand. The contact was like a snowflake's bite, enough to make Kaede shiver just a little bit. It was funny though, how it made the skater's whole face burn.

"Amazing." Just a chilly puff of breath past pink lips, eyes glittering with awe, "Show me more. Please."

Kaede took her hand and pulled her away from the edge, guiding her to balance, fingers light around her waist as they turned around together. Even when Karina finally got the hang of it, she still reached for Kaede, and they ended up circling the rink, hand in hand the whole time.

* * *

Something about this felt right.

Karina wouldn't admit it, but those hands were soft as kitten's paws in her own palms, untrimmed nails making the faintest clack against the keys of the piano. _The cat has claws_ , she thought vaguely to herself, a tinge of a curve on her lips, as her partner slowly learned a bar song she'd written back in high school, back when she was still fawning over Tiger.

Kaede's back pressed against her, warm, arms now uncertain in their movements. Gently, Karina slid a hand down to Kaede's wrist and lifted it, placing it over the right set of keys.

"Here," Karina pointed to a specific note, and Kaede pressed, giving a soft twitch with a silent gasp.

"Oh! I think I've got it!" But then she proceeded to fumble on the order of the keys Karina had just shown her. Karina did her best to hold back a giggle at the slip-up, but it seeped out ever so slightly, a wisp of air right by her partner's ear. Kaede stiffened in her hold, radiating warmth in a blush out of what Karina assumed was embarrassment.

"Sorry, didn't mean to laugh."

Kaede ducked a little, her voice a frail whine, "I wish I could read sheet music."

"Trust me, it doesn't work for everyone. I know you learn best when you're working hands-on," Karina squeezed Kaede's wrist, lifting it again to hover over a sharp note. "Try again. Practice makes perfect, right?"

"Right!" Kaede nodded, and Karina freed her hands, numbly missing the close contact for some reason. She stood back and watched Kaede play, moving more precisely now. They were slow notes, some short in the wrong places as they fell like dominoes, foot against the pedal with a muffled thump. Kaede ended up playing it nearly perfect, no mistakes on the right hand completely. The singer clapped, and when Kaede turned to smile back at her, Karina froze, a familiar feeling welling up at the wrong time. There was the most evanescent flutter in her chest then, and all she could think to herself was, _no, it's definitely not like that!_

But just to be safe, after that night, Karina stopped seeing Kaede outside of work.

* * *

Absence only made the heart grow fonder, however.

They already didn't get a lot of time together in the first place, since they were under separate companies. So any time spent together was a cherished blessing to the younger woman. She looked forward to seeing Karina even more now, and lately, just getting the chance to talk to her was enough to place a smile on Kaede's face for the rest of the week.

Then, it came as a concern to Kaede when Karina started avoiding eye contact whenever possible. While they were in the training center together, the older woman didn't talk to her unless Kaede initiated the conversation. And eventually, Kaede could barely even catch her there, now that Karina was coming in earlier than anyone and leaving before Kaede woke up. Now the only time they saw each other was on duty.

But the thing that threw Kaede off was that Blue Rose was still sweet as ever towards her when they were on camera.

She asked her Dad if he knew anything about her partner's behavior lately, if Karina had ever complained about something Kaede had done. It scared Kaede to think she had somehow made her partner hate her, so when he said Karina didn't even mention her, it was a great relief.

"But she was definitely complaining when we went out for drinks the other day…" Kotetsu furrowed his brow, pensive as he recalled the event, "I think she was bummed that her buddies wouldn't be in town for her birthday."

Kaede blinked, wide eyed, "When is her birthday?"

"Uhh… I _think_ it's tomorrow, but I'd have to check."

"Do you know if she has other plans?"

"Nope. From the looks of it though, I don't think she's going anywhere."

And so Kaede made up her mind: she'd give Karina the best birthday surprise ever. Maybe then, Kaede would be set in the right direction towards getting her partner back to her usual self.

She consulted Nathan and Pao-Lin, finding out from both of them exactly what kinds of sweets Karina liked: nothing too rich, favoring fluffy chiffon with dark or nutty flavors. And with that knowledge, Kaede set to work on the most delicious project she had ever undertaken: a homemade fancy ice cream cake.

Barnaby was dismayed at the huge mess in the kitchen that night, but the results proved astounding. She'd pulled out all the stops and ended up with a pretty circle of an almond sponge cake filled with homemade rose-flavored ice cream dusted over the top with confectioner's sugar and a single blue frosting rose piped with great care onto the center. Kotetsu came back two hours after the fact with an empty box. Kaede hadn't even thought about that earlier, so she thanked her dad vigorously before lowering her creation into the container.

The next day, however, her manager didn't really seem to care that it was her partner's birthday, and Kaede had been booked up all afternoon with a Coldstone Creamery photoshoot and an additional interview for a magazine. And when they finally let her go, it was nearing nine o'clock, so Kaede snagged the closest taxi for a ride back home to pick up the cake, and drove herself up to the Gold Stage about as fast as she could go.

Karina stared back in shock as she answered the door.

"Kaede?"

"I-I-I made you an ice cream cake!" A bit exasperated, Kaede held up the box, "Because it's your birthday!"

Wordlessly, the celebrant accepted the cake, placing it to the side as soon as she could so that her hands were free to embrace Kaede. In return, Kaede practically threw her arms around Karina, unable to hold back the tears surging forth, crying about how she'd been so worried. And Karina soothed her, apologizing for making her worry, and saying everything was going to be alright.

* * *

Now it was Karina's turn to cry, because each mouthful of cake tasted like pure-hearted love, and that was the last place she wanted to find herself falling into all over again.

But it made so much sense to her, because Kaede had long been someone she'd cared about and wanted to protect. Even while she'd had a crush on Kotetsu, Kaede had never been the prospective stepdaughter. She'd been a longtime companion, someone that Karina had emotionally mentored for years. And now, Karina was looking ahead with her own admiration, as Kaede skated before her with full confidence and fighting spirit. She wasn't a child anymore, far from it, no longer needing someone to lead the way with a good example. She'd shown time and time again that she could forge her own path forward, and make her own decisions.

And Kaede had decided that she wanted to be Karina's partner.

There was no "sidekick" in their team. The two of them were Heroes, standing together on equal ground. With certainty of that, the rest fell away too easily, any insecurity like drops of wax melting under the affectionate warmth pervading her now. Admitting this to herself was daunting, but with the way her heart swelled at the thought that the younger woman had gone to the trouble of making this cake _for her_ , there was no way to deny it anymore. So, once again, Karina pursued love in baby steps.

"Ohhhh." Kotetsu grinned, his voice like a poke in the shoulder, "What's her name?"

Karina laughed nervously, "Nevermind that. Just help me understand this." She slumped a little, "I mean, I've never liked a girl before…"

"Well, it's possible you're a late bloomer," He pointed out, holding up his glass of iced shochu. "I knew a guy back at the liquor store who didn't figure out he was bi until he was in his forties. But it's also possible you're just straight with an exception. Whatever you're comfy calling it."

The latter seemed a bit of a better descriptor, but she wasn't exactly worried about labels for this matter. She just wanted to wrap her head around this first, dispel any hesitation before she dove in.

Karina leaned over her own glass of whiskey, "What do you think of yourself as, Tiger?"

"Definitely bi. But I'll admit I lean towards the ladies." He snorted a little, "Didn't stop me from falling for Bunny though."

She looked down at her glass, "How could you tell he liked guys?" And Kotetsu snorted even harder, eliciting a glare from her.

"Sorry, sorry! It's just… kinda funny." And before Karina could protest that statement, he finished, "My daughter asked me the same thing a while ago." Karina swallowed, feeling stupid over the hope that welled up inside of her with that statement.

"What did you say?"

"Simple. I said there wasn't a way to tell. I honestly didn't have a clue until Bunny just flat out told me he liked me! And the rest was history."

"…I see."

"You should tell her then, to her face." Kotetsu's voice lowered a bit in pitch, "And if she can't accept you as you are, then she doesn't belong in your life, period."

Karina managed a smile, "I'll do my best to say it, then."

* * *

But Kaede, always one step ahead, beat her to the punch.

"L-Listen, I…" Kaede played with her tail, thumbing the joints on it, "I don't want this to get in the way of work, so if it bothers you, please, just forget I ever said anything. But…" She squeezed her tail, "i-if you'd be willing to give me a chance, we should go on a date!"

Karina just looked at her, eyes full of something Kaede couldn't quite read. So Kaede cast her eyes down to the Häagen-Dazs logo on her knee pad, irrationally hoping for a moment that debris would come crashing down just hard enough to make Karina forget she ever confessed. Really… when had she ever stood a chance? Even if Karina had any interest in women, she must've just seen Kaede as a kid with a silly crush right about now.

And what was she thinking, saying this in the middle of work? They had a band of car thieves coming their way any second now. This was a distraction, an inconvenience, and Kaede was just about ready to say, "Nevermind!" and skate straight on ahead for the stolen vehicles, focus on her job like she should instead of worrying about everything that just wasn't meant to work out.

But a hand on her wrist stopped Kaede just as she began to veer away. Before she could even process what was happening, Karina had wrapped her arms around her partner completely, and an overwhelming feeling of safety washed over the younger woman, her tail going limp.

Karina exhaled, "Thank goodness." And as she took a step back, blue eyes met lilac, shimmering with the kind of tenderness that stole the younger's breath away.

"S-So do you…?" Karina just smiled so lovingly back at her, and the words melted away in the skater's throat.

"Yes." Karina backed away, throwing a leg over her vehicle. "But let's talk about this after we've caught the criminals, alright?" The older woman held out her hand to Kaede then, a silent request and command to get on. And with Agnes shouting over their call bracelets, there was no time to lose.

* * *

They fought in such perfect sync then that they'd finished up the job in no time. And they didn't waste any time either on planning their date together. Figuring that the season so far had been tough on them, they decided it would be best to unwind together at a spa. Kaede booked an appointment easily, and even called work in advance for the day off.

But when the day came for their date, a severe emergency came up that morning, requiring the help of all of the Heroes. On an annual districtwide fieldtrip, nearly all of Sternbild's elementary students had been kidnapped by a coordinated mob, holding the kids hostage in all their buses for the price of fifty billion Stern. And after a number of Hundred Powered blows to the head from Kaede's staff, she'd managed to secure just one of the buses, moving on to aid the others only after she'd managed to park it in a safe area. The operation went on for hours, Blue Rose and Kitty Kaleidoscope working separately all the while. By the time the whole mess had been settled, the sun had gone down and they had long since missed their spa appointment. But today had still been a victory, and finally seeing one another at headquarters only further solidified that.

"Here, lean against me." Kaede offered, draping an arm over her partner's shoulders.

Karina hissed a bit at the touch, "Ow…" She laughed, "How is it that you don't even have a scratch on you?"

"Gotta love Hundred Power regeneration…" Kaede said with half a smile, before muttering, "Sorry about today."

"You have nothing to apologize for. It's not like any of that was your fault."

"I know. But…" Kaede faltered, still feeling like she let her partner down.

"It's alright." Karina suggested, eyes bright and inviting, "If you want, we can go back to my place and watch a movie."

"…that would be nice."

No, today definitely hadn't gone as planned at all. But sometime during the movie, Karina felt comfy nestled close to her partner, those soft hands icy on her skin, using copied ice powers to soothe away bruises on her upper back before they could form. And with the warm, fuzzy feeling bubbling up in Karina's chest, she closed her eyes with a happy sigh, moving a hand of her own to trace over Kaede's side. It _was_ nice, and even if it turned out they just weren't the right fit for each other, Karina was happy for now with this alone.

And if the way Kaede snuggled any closer was an indication, there must have been a good standing chance what they had here could work out for the best.


End file.
